What is a brand?Have you ever thought about why your favorite company is actually your favorite? Across industries, there are tons of saturated markets and similar products and businesses, so what makes the businesses we love stick out?
As a branding agency We would argue it’s because of branding! The interesting traits that endear us to companies and products are the things that keep us coming back. So what exactly is a brand? A brand is a unique set of features and characteristics assigned to a business or organization that differentiates it. A brand expands beyond a tagline or logo into all aspects of an organization, from packaging to messaging!
So why is a brand important, and how do you implement a strong brand into your business? As a branding agency, we will cover all the bases and branding tips of 2021 so you can make your business stand out!
Why is it important?Think of some of the biggest companies in the world and what sets them apart. Oftentimes the main factor that differentiates a company is a strong, consistent brand. Branding personifies a business, makes it more memorable, delivers a high-quality experience across all channels, and supports all marketing or advertising efforts.
So let’s review a few terms before we dive into the information and importance of brand strategy.
Branding Terms To KnowBrand Awareness: Brand Awareness refers to how well the general public knows your brand. Familiarity is important to a business so that customers can easily identify a business across different channels.
Brand Management: Brand Management includes maintaining all brand assets and messaging across different platforms, packaging, etc.Brand Recognition: Brand recognition refers to how easily a customer can recognize a brand through your products or advertising efforts.
Brand Equity: Brand equity is the monetary value or worth of a brand. For many companies, their value or their revenue increases based solely on their brand reputation.Brand Positioning: Brand positioning refers to the area a business occupies in the market and how it compares to its competitors. Positioning is achieved through brand strategy.
Brand Trust: Trust is a key part of any relationship, including the relationship between a business and consumer.
Brand trust can be defined as how much a consumer believes in and relies on your brand.
Brand Values: Brand values are the core characteristics of a company that guides all efforts and advertising.
Brand Voice: Think of brand voice as a brand’s personality or tone of voice; this can include tone and verbiage.
Defining Your AudienceOne of the most important elements included in creating your brand is defining your target market. Focusing on who your customer is, what drives them, and what messaging resonates with them is essential as you create a brand experience.
Your ideal customer and their experience should be at the forefront when creating a brand strategy. Determine who your target market is, what their different buyer personas are, and the problem your business solves for them.
Creating a Mission Statement/VisionWhen you have a clear vision of who your audience or target market is, you can create a mission statement and vision that line up with your goals. Ask yourself, “Why did I create this business?”
Create a mission statement that reflects the purpose and goal of your business. Having a purpose behind your business will encourage customers to trust you and will ensure that your business is consistent across assets like taglines, logos, copy, etc.
Identifying Your DifferentiatorAny company can create a mission statement and create buyer personas, but what will really make a business stand out is identifying what differentiates it from other competitors.
This differentiator can also be called a unique selling proposition. Identifying this will help you shape your brand and position it strategically. Incorporating the unique things that set your business apart into your brand marketing will further set your organization apart!A strong brand alone can be a large differentiating factor that increases the value and revenue of a company. Addressing the pain points of your buyers and how your product or service best meets those can be a good place to start.
Style GuideAn important aspect of maintaining a brand is keeping things consistent visually across all channels and mediums. Whether content is pushed out on social media, billboards, or a video ad, they must communicate the same messaging and have the same visual look.
Creating a style guide with specific colors, logos, fonts, and design elements to use will ensure the same aesthetic for all of the marketing materials put out. In addition to a style guide dictating the look of your company assets, determining a consistent brand voice is equally as important. A similar tone in all messaging, in addition to similar vocabulary, will ensure that customers recognize your voice.
When incorporating your brand across your business functions, consider how it affects the 4 P’s of marketing; product, price, promotion, and place. Incorporating packaging and deals in line with your brand will create a cohesive experience for a customer and ensure they have a positive experience at every touchpoint.
Beware Inconsistent BrandingSince the customer experience is a large focus when creating and delivering an interesting brand, it is important to beware of using inconsistent branding. Don’t throw an extra color on your logo, don’t use an edgy tone if your company’s brand is professional; the list goes on!
When you’ve created an awesome brand, make sure it’s being reflected in all of the materials you are putting out. This cohesiveness is what makes a brand really stand out and the customer journey extremely smooth. A branding agency can help align all of your ideas and create this experience across the customer touch points.
Get StartedSo what are you waiting for? Start putting your ideas to work and creating a company and brand that people will love. Just do it! And if you don’t think brands make companies more successful, then think about the company that automatically came to your mind when you read the last sentence.
Not sure where to start? Contact a branding agency or a branding marketing company you can count on. Target River serves businesses of all sizes and industries in Salt Lake City and San Diego. Reach out today to get help!
About Target River
Target River is a target marketing firm, backed by global buying power to deliver cost-efficient campaigns that deliver results. Our team utilizes on point targeting with pinpoint accuracy. We exist to delight our clients with campaigns that effectively target the right audience, reach that audience through the most cost-efficient tactics, and deliver the most relevant message.
Target River was recently recognized as “Marketing Agency of the Year”, “Best Target Marketing Company”, and “Best Education Marketing Company” in the United States. For further information, please contact brian@targetriver.com or call 619.330.0153. www.targetriver.com.
